How did an Indian Buddhist shrine influence a Japanese pagoda? How are Italian pigs and cowry shells related to porcelain? Why did the ferocious warriors of Mongolia wear silk underwear? And how did wood block printing bring about a revolution in Japan and in European culture? These intriguing questions are investigated in Artifacts, a series that explores the origins and hidden connections among the art and artifacts of the great cultures and belief systems across Asia - on a journey through time and across continents from India to Thailand, China and Japan - to understand the impact of calligraphy, porcelain, architecture, metallurgy, wood block printing and silk on Asian history and on the history of the world in general.
China is rapidly becoming a world power, but much of the country and its people remain hidden to tho...
Professor Akbar Ahmed explore the architectural splendor of Islamic heritage and the profound connec...
This two-part, four-hour documentary delves into the world of a 15th-century art titan and unravels ...
The Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing was the home of the Chinese emperor and the seat of a vas...
Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how a group of 19th-century architects and artists spurned the modern a...
China is playing an increasingly important role worldwide. Under President Xi Jinping, substantial i...
Contemplate the "anti-art" spirit of Dadaism, its nihilistic yet humorous indictment of civilization...
Wushu is one of the most representative symbols of Chinese culture. Today, hundreds of millions of p...
Africa on its own terms and in full voice - across Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Uncovering the...
Ever wanted to quit your job and go travelling round the world? Well James and Karl did and filmed i...
Sue Perkins embarks on a life-changing, 3,000-mile journey up the Mekong, South East Asia's greatest...
Dr Adam Rutherford investigates the close relationship between discoveries in anatomy and the works ...
From the vast Gobi Desert to the jungles of Borneo, and from the polar wilderness of Siberia to the ...